Do energy saving lamps contain mercury? What should I do if a fluorescent energy-saving lamp breaks? Types of lamps with mercury

Energy-saving lamps, in comparison with traditional "Ilyich's bulbs" are much more economical. Despite the fact that LED lamps are being forced out of the market, they retain their positions. At least because it's cheaper. But not everyone knows that there is mercury inside energy-saving structures, so their operation is a known risk. If an energy-saving light bulb breaks - what to do? We'll talk about this.

Damage from a broken lamp

As long as the product is intact, there is no danger. If, during transportation or careless handling, the integrity of the lamp is violated, then mercury vapor enters the air. To protect yourself, you need to know what to do if an energy-saving lamp bursts, how you can dispose of waste without unnecessary risk.

So, if the product is broken, there are at least 2 risks:

Shards of glass that can cut you.
Mercury, which belongs to substances of the 1st hazard class.

Important! One product, depending on its size, contains from 3 to 5 mg of a toxic substance. This is quite enough to make you feel noticeably worse. With mild poisoning, dizziness, headache and general weakness occur. If contact with mercury vapor was longer, this can lead to injury. internal organs, CNS or even fatal.

Can you throw away the lamps?

According to statistics, more than 70 thousand lamps fail every year, however, less than half of them are disposed of in compliance with all safety measures. Unfortunately, most of the broken lamps end up in the trash along with household waste, and then in dumpster. And mercury, getting into the air, pollutes it, simultaneously creating a threat to people and animals.

Important! Mercury is dangerous because it can accumulate in the body for a long time without declaring itself. Naturally, until the concentration reaches a critical value. The result is deplorable: damage to internal organs, the nervous system and related pathologies.

There is only one way to avoid this: throw broken lamps only into special containers designed for mercury-containing devices.

Broke an energy-saving lamp in the apartment - what to do?

You need to act clearly and in a strictly defined order. This will make it possible to protect yourself and your loved ones as much as possible.

Stage 1

Entrust the disposal of the lamp to the most accurate and conscientious person. Nothing else to do in the room. No need to inhale poisonous vapours. You should not interfere with advice, fuss and worries either.

Stage 2

Close the door to the room so that mercury vapor does not penetrate into other rooms of the apartment. Open the window. By ventilating the room, you reduce the concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere of the room. This minimizes the harmful effects of the poison on the body.

Stage 3

This is, in fact, the collection of fragments for further disposal:

Do not touch the fragments with unprotected hands! Be sure to use protective rubber gloves.
It is desirable to collect waste with paper or cardboard sheets. You can use an old sponge or paper towel. In a word, you need to use items that you don’t mind throwing away. It is not necessary to collect fragments with a vacuum cleaner.
The collected waste should be placed in a sealed bag with a zipper.
After cleaning is over, the place where the lamp was located must be wiped with moistened textiles. The rag should also be put in the bag where the remains of the broken lamp are located. The package should only be thrown into a special container for mercury-containing devices.

Important! If the bulb is broken by falling on the carpet, you need to take the carpet outside and carefully knock it out with reverse side. A cloth or oilcloth should be placed under the carpet to prevent mercury contamination of the soil. The carpet product is then ventilated for as long as possible.

Measures for demercurization

This fantastically creepy name refers to the neutralization of mercury vapor or mercury compounds. The essence of these activities is the cleaning of the premises with by special means. At home, you can use these tools.

Potassium permanganate

In 1 liter of water, dilute 2 g of potassium permanganate. A solution of potassium permanganate is treated with a surface where the light bulb was located. The solution is kept on the surface for about 6 hours, and then washed off with a soapy solution at room temperature.

Baking soda

For a ten-liter bucket of water - 0.4 kg of baking soda and 0.4 l of a chlorine-containing composition, for example, "Whiteness".

Iodine

On liter jar water accounts for 100 ml of an alcohol solution of iodine. This method is very efficient. It is usually used for a small area of pollution.

Important! Surface cleaning is carried out every day, for 3-4 days. At the same time, you need to work in protective rubber gloves so as not to come into contact with the infected surface.

professional cleaning

For high-quality demercurization, you can also contact a specialized company that provides such services. You need to contact in such cases:

You are not sure that you can disinfect the room well or simply do not want to do it. Companies have special substances that quickly and reliably neutralize mercury. Such work is not cheap, but you can be one hundred percent sure of efficiency.
To get an answer to the question of whether it is possible to use pieces of upholstered furniture that have been hit by a broken lamp.
To measure indoor mercury concentrations after you have demercurized yourself with home remedies. It doesn't hurt to make sure!

How is recycling done?

So, energy-saving lamps are thrown into a container specially designed for this purpose. The fragments are then sent for recycling. Glass, mercury and aluminum are sorted separately and raw materials are obtained that are quite suitable for processing. This approach is not only economically beneficial, but also contributes to the fact that harmful substances do not enter the environment.

It is caused by the presence of active mercury vapor, which emits an ultraviolet glow under the influence of an arc discharge. The use of such light bulbs is safe for humans, however, if the integrity of the bulb is damaged, there is a possibility of contamination environment mercury. In order to avoid getting it into the human body, it is necessary to properly dispose of the broken light bulb itself and neutralize the dangerous active substance.

How to use a light bulb

using a mercury-based light bulb

At correct use bulbs based on mercury vapor are completely safe for humans and the environment, provided they are in good working order:

Initially, you need to choose products from a trusted company that guarantees the quality of its products. A good manufacturer monitors the production of light bulbs at all stages of the process, so they arrive at the point of sale in full working order and with the appropriate certificates and codes.
Check the integrity of the light bulbs before screwing them into the fixtures. If a new light bulb has even minor cracks on the bulb, it is better to return it under warranty with the obligatory indication of the reason for the return.
Careful handling of the light bulb is the key to the integrity of the bulb with mercury. It is necessary to screw and unscrew it only by holding it by the body, in no case do not apply force to the glass component, because of this, the bulb can crack right in your hands.
Periodically check the bulbs for integrity, especially for products that have regularly worked for more than one year.
Do not use very tight ceiling lamps and lampshades - energy-saving lamps of more than 10 watts tend to get very hot, which is why in low-quality and defective products the electrical circuit ignites, which will lead to physical damage to the bulb - it can even explode.

What activities are dangerous?

danger when repairing energy-saving lamps

When a light bulb burns out, many people do not want to buy a new one, but try to fix it with their own hands. It often happens that in expensive light bulbs the breakdown is so scanty that it is solved by soldering several capacitors. But it must be remembered that incompetent intervention in the light bulb device can lead to depressurization of the bulb, which contains mercury. This is especially dangerous in the hands, because there is a high probability of getting a toxic substance on the skin and straight into the lungs. Therefore, it is advisable to refrain from disassembling the light bulb, but to properly dispose of it and buy a new one, while following the recommendations from the above paragraph.

Danger of a broken fluorescent lamp

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Ask an expert

It is strongly not recommended to apply physical strength to the flask - do not step on it, do not break it on the floor or walls, in no case leave it exposed to thermal effects - in addition to a sharp release of mercury, there is a danger of scattering of fine broken glass in different directions.

What to do if the lamp is still broken

Broken fluorescent lamp, what to do? The main task is to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury vapor. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures, which include the collection and neutralization of mercury, the cleaning of broken glass and the elimination of consequences.

broken fluorescent lamp

Room demercurization

This is the name of the process of neutralizing mercury that has entered the environment in the open. It consists of several steps:

The contents of the light bulb is a volatile substance that does not turn into balls (as mercury does from Soviet thermometers), and soars in the air. The room where the emergency occurred must be ventilated. The nuance is that the ventilation should go outside, from the room, and not inside the home or office. The longer the room is ventilated, the better, at least 2 hours.
If possible, use personal protective equipment - gloves, goggles and a chemical respirator. Not every home has such a set, so be sure to wear rubber or other household waterproof gloves.
From a sheet of thick paper (if it is not there, then cardboard will do), make a scoop into which you can collect the fragments and mercury powder of a broken light bulb, it is convenient to do this with a rag if the fragments fell under the cabinet.
Collection is preferably carried out with a damp dense cloth. All fragments with mercury residues are moved with a rag to a homemade scoop.
The rag, dustpan and collected debris should be placed in a tight white plastic bag and tied tightly. For reliability, one bag can be put into several more bags so that the fragments do not cut the polyethylene (you can also pour the fragments back onto a rag and carefully wrap it before moving it into the bag).

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in the repair, maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

Ask an expert

Important! Do not let the fragments lie on the floor for a long time. The place where the lamp fell and broke should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or any bleach based on active chlorine. If this happened on the carpet, then it must be taken out into the street, gently but carefully shake it out, and leave it to ventilate as much as possible.

How to dispose of collected mercury

The bag must not be disposed of in a trash can or waste container. It must be handed over to the nearest organization that deals with the disposal of mercury. This may be a fire department, a housing office or a private office. For free or for a small fee, they will accept your package, after which the mercury will be neutralized with special chemicals, and the glass will be sent for recycling. These steps will prevent a broken light bulb from polluting the environment with mercury vapor, no matter how much mercury is contained inside.

Quick problem solving

For efficient removal small fragments, you can use stationery tape, gluing sticky strips to the place where the flask was broken. The glue well collects glass, invisible to the human eye due to its small size, and also sticks mercury residues, which increases the assembly quality. Call special service for demercurization is not worth it, because. a small content of mercury will not lead to a global environmental catastrophe.

What to do is prohibited

In no case should you collect the fragments with a vacuum cleaner - it will spread the mercury around the room even more, and the filters will be soaked through with its vapors for a long time;
also do not turn on the air conditioner and fan;
do not use a broom - dry material is well saturated with mercury, and glass fragments can get stuck in the broom itself;
do not throw the garbage bag down the drain.

What threatens mercury poisoning

Human exposure to mercury

Mercury belongs to the first class hazardous substances according to FCC, therefore it causes a negative reaction of the body even in very small amounts of grams when a person inhales it. It has a cumulative property, that is, for a short time biological tissues accumulate mercury, and it is very difficult to remove it. Symptoms look like typical toxic poisoning:

strong temperature;
nausea and diarrhea with blood;
inflammation of the lungs and gums;
sharp pains in the abdomen.

Mercury is especially dangerous for pregnant women. Weak poisoning is manifested by apathy, drowsiness, bad mood and memory disorder. If such symptoms are observed after the disposal of fragments, urgent hospitalization of the victim is necessary, where doctors will prescribe special substances that neutralize the harm of mercury in the body.

Can you get mercury poisoning from a broken light bulb?

YesNo

Recycling as a second life of a lamp

disposal fluorescent lamps

Where does it go broken light bulb after neutralization of mercury? It can serve as a material for a new product, which greatly reduces production costs and saves the environment. This happens on condition that the broken lamp is taken to special institutions that work under an agreement with manufacturers. Modern production of compact fluorescent lamps is gradually declining due to the difficulty of recycling mercury, so the material will be used to manufacture a new trend in lighting technology - LED lamps.

Recycling of fluorescent lamps

IN modern society energy-saving light bulbs have almost completely replaced conventional ones. They are used everywhere - at home, in various industries, in offices. Without a doubt, energy-saving light bulbs have a number of advantages. But still, there is one unequivocal minus - when they fall or hit, they break. And it is very dangerous for the people around.

Therefore, the question of if an energy-saving light bulb has broken, what to do, is very relevant for most users. Whether such a situation is dangerous for others and what to do if an energy-saving lamp breaks, you can find out from this article.

How dangerous is this situation?

Such a situation cannot be called pleasant, but if a person breaks such a lamp, one should not panic or call specialists. True, this statement is relevant if this happened with one lamp. But if several of them crashed at once, this is a serious reason to call for help. After all, inside such a device is mercury almagama , that is, mercury vapor. This substance belongs to the first class of danger. This substance is inside the tube. Accordingly, it gets out when the tube breaks or its integrity is violated.

Very often people confuse the mercury filling and the luminescent coating inside the glass tube. During operation, this coating may fall off inside the lamp. If this happened, you should not worry, because only after the integrity of the lamp is broken, mercury evaporates.

Everyone who uses such lamps should understand what mercury is and why it is dangerous. Mercury is one of the elements in Mendeleev's periodic table. It is a dangerous metal for health and life, as its fumes provoke poisoning. Its severity depends on how long and in what quantities the person inhaled such fumes.

When poisoning with mercury vapor, poisoning develops, in which a person has hand tremors, dysfunction of the nervous system, and gingivitis. Such manifestations are characteristic of chronic poisoning. In acute poisoning, when a person inhales high concentration vapors, weakness, abdominal pain develops, , vomit.

Symptoms of acute poisoning develop several hours after exposure to mercury. At first, a person feels weak, headache, metallic taste in the mouth and discomfort when swallowing. There is increased salivation, bleeding and swelling of the gums, nausea and the urge to vomit. Then very strong pains in the abdomen develop, severe diarrhea with blood impurities torments. Probably the development of an inflammatory process in the lungs, severe chills, cough and. Body temperature may rise, sometimes to levels close to 40°C. When testing in urine, it is determined a large number of mercury. Both in adults and in children, the symptoms of poisoning appear the same. However, in a baby, symptoms of poisoning develop faster, his clinical picture is more pronounced, and therefore he needs to be helped as soon as possible.

If there is a chronic the person cannot lead a normal life. Mercury fumes are most dangerous for young children and expectant mothers. Provided that a pregnant woman is severely poisoned by mercury vapor, the likelihood of developing intrauterine pathologies in the fetus increases.

Severe poisoning ends in death in a few days. Consequently, acute poisoning is treated exclusively in a hospital setting. Therefore, it is important to know what will happen if such a lamp is broken, and how to act correctly in such a situation. Of course, if one light bulb breaks, it will not bring much harm to others. However, it is important to take all necessary precautions.

How much mercury is in an energy saving lamp?

Depending on the characteristics of an energy-saving lamp, it can contain from 1 to 400 mg of mercury. If compared with a thermometer, then the amount of this metal is much larger in it - 2 g. A health threat is observed if the concentration of mercury vapor in the room is from 0.25 mg / cu.

Light bulbs that are produced in our country or in China contain mercury vapor, but in devices from manufacturers from European countries there is mercury almagama (an alloy with another metal). It is less dangerous for health.

Considering the fact that in fact the danger of a broken energy-saving lamp is mostly exaggerated, one should not be afraid and panic. However, everyone should be clearly aware that such light bulbs must be treated very carefully. This should be clearly explained to children.

The question of what is more dangerous is also quite relevant - if the thermometer breaks, or if the integrity of the lamp is lost. Despite the abundance of safe thermometers, mercury is still used in many families. It is a broken thermometer that is more dangerous, since small balls of mercury can roll into the very different places and stay in crevices inaccessible for cleaning. If left indoors, mercury will poison the air for a long time. But if the integrity of the energy-saving lamp is broken, there is no need to look for balls on the floor, since mercury inside is only in the form of steam. That is why the harm of energy-saving lamps in this case is less pronounced.

What to do if a light bulb bursts or breaks?

If a fluorescent lamp breaks, what to do depends on the circumstances in which this happened.

If such an incident occurs, you need to act, adhering to the following sequence of rules:

Remove children and animals from the room where this happened, immediately close the door there.
It is important to be careful not to cut yourself on the fragments.
If a light bulb breaks right in the lamp, you should immediately disconnect it from the power supply.
Open a window in the room, while closing all windows and doors in other rooms to avoid drafts. This is the most important action to clean the air of harmful mercury vapors as soon as possible. Airing should continue as long as possible, at least two hours. But ideally, the room should be ventilated for a whole day.
Pour into a large jar cold water and add potassium permanganate there.
Wear plastic or rubber gloves on your hands, if there are none - plastic bags. In no case can not collect fragments with bare hands.
In a jar of liquid, collect all the fragments of the light bulb, including the base.
Small particles of glass and luminescent coating should be collected with a wet rag, napkin or cotton wool, carefully and thoroughly wetting the surface where the device crashed. Cotton wool or a napkin should also be put in water in a jar. You can also use sticky tape to pick up small pieces.
After completing all the work, close the jar with a lid and put it in a dark room where there are no people. Then you need to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations, where they will tell you where you can take this waste.
After that, you should look very carefully to see if there are any small pieces under the furniture in the cracks and in other places.
The floor should be washed thoroughly with water and detergent containing chlorine or water with soap and soda. You can also use a solution of potassium permanganate or iodine solution - 100 ml of iodine per 1 liter of water. Wet cleaning using these products should be carried out for several days in a row.
After that, take a shower.
Shoes and clothes that a person was wearing during cleaning do not need to be disposed of. All this must be carefully washed in a basin separately from other clothes.

Is it dangerous if the lamp breaks on the carpet?

If everything happened this way, then the main danger is the likely presence of small particles of glass in the pile of the carpet. As already indicated, all the pieces must be carefully assembled. Next, you should twist the carpet and take it to a place where there is no one - to a wasteland or in a field. It must be very carefully knocked out or shaken out. If possible, it is advisable to leave the carpet to air out in the open air during the day.

What should not be done?

There are a number of prohibitions that also need to be taken into account. So you can't do the following:

collect the particles of the light bulb with a vacuum cleaner, otherwise the mercury will be inside and settle there;
turn on the air conditioner, as mercury vapor will settle inside it;
use a whisk or broom, as too strong movements will cause the particles to scatter around the room;
throw glass particles or a jar of waste into the garbage chute or take it to the trash;
pour liquid from a jar with the remains of a broken lamp into the sewer.

Do not throw used whole light bulbs into the trash. They are handed over to collection points. Information on where to turn in energy-saving lamps can sometimes be found in stores specializing in the sale of such devices. Sometimes used lamps can be taken to points in these stores. If this is not possible, you can find out where to take energy-saving light bulbs and where to dispose of the leftovers if the lamp breaks by calling emergency organizations.

conclusions

Even considering how much an energy-saving light bulb costs, these devices are very economical and convenient. But both the remains of broken and used devices must be properly disposed of so as not to damage the environment. If trouble occurs, you should not panic, but act according to the rules, which describe in detail what to do if a fluorescent lamp breaks.

According to statistics, every year about 70 million of these lamps fail. And only about 40% is recycled, taking into account all the rules of this process. All the rest end up in household waste and poison the environment. Therefore, disposal issues must be treated very responsibly.

Energy-saving lamps are well-deservedly popular, because they are more economical and durable. But few people know that energy-saving lamps contain mercury, and this in some cases makes them hazardous to health. Mercury in lamps is in a gaseous state and it is it that causes the glow during an electric discharge.

During normal use of the lamp, toxic compounds are not released, but as soon as its integrity is violated (during transportation or careless installation), toxic mercury immediately enters the air. Due to the widespread use of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps, it is important to know what action to take if an energy-saving lamp breaks, where used and damaged lamps can be disposed of.

If an energy-saving lamp broke in the room, a person is exposed to a number of dangerous factors. The first danger is glass fragments, which are easy to cut yourself. The second and more serious danger is precisely mercury, which is classified as chemical compounds first hazard class.

If the lamp breaks, mercury vapor freely enters the air and spreads easily in it. One energy-saving lamp contains 3-5 mg of this extremely toxic substance, enough to cause a deterioration in well-being. In the case of mild poisoning, a person feels weakness, headache and dizziness. In the case of prolonged contact with mercury vapor, a person's condition becomes critical, severe damage to all internal organs, the central nervous system occurs, which can lead to death.

Is it possible to throw away energy-saving lamps

Every year, about 70 million energy-saving lamps break down, but only 40% of them are disposed of in accordance with all the rules. The remaining 60%, together with household waste, is sent to ordinary garbage containers, while the mercury contained in them freely enters the air, and then into the human respiratory tract.

The danger of mercury is that it has a cumulative effect, that is, it can accumulate in the body for a long time until its concentration becomes critical for health. As a result, a person has severe toxic damage to the nervous system, liver, lungs and other internal organs.

In order to prevent environmental pollution and protect others, failed and broken lamps should only be disposed of in special containers intended for the disposal of mercury-containing devices.

Let's take a look at the steps to take if the energy-saving lamp is broken. Compliance with these recommendations will not only minimize possible damage, but also protect the health of loved ones. Eliminating the consequences of a broken lamp consists of several successive stages.

First stage . The work should be entrusted to one person, the most accurate, responsible and conscientious. The rest must leave the premises, so strangers are protected from inhaling toxic fumes and do not interfere with eliminating the consequences with unnecessary movements, experiences or advice.

Second phase . The door to the room is closed so that evaporation does not enter the rest of the room, and for the flow of air, all the vents and windows are wide open. This will reduce the content of mercury vapor in the air and reduce their impact on the body.

Third stage. Lamp fragments are collected with the following precautions:

do not touch the fragments of the lamp with bare hands; be sure to wear rubber gloves;
for collection, it is better to use thick sheets of paper or cardboard, paper towels, kitchen sponges or rags. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or any other items that you will then be sorry to throw away;
the collected fragments are placed in a tight sealed bag with a zipper that does not allow air to pass through;
after collection, the surface is wiped with a damp towel, which is also placed in a bag with fragments. Subsequently, the package should be thrown into a container, designed for energy-saving lamps.

Fourth stage. If the energy-saving lamp has broken into soft objects that are a pity to throw away, then they should also be packed in bags. After an analysis for mercury content, a decision is made on their further operation.

If the fragments hit the carpet, then it is taken out to a place equipped for knocking out carpets and carefully knocked out from the back. Attention, do not knock out the contents on the ground, by doing this you create a threat to others. Be sure to lay an old sheet, bedspread or oilcloth. After the carpet is knocked out, it is aired for a long time.

After the fragments are collected, place them in a sealed bag.

The fifth stage is demercurization of the premises (neutralization of mercury or its compounds). To do this, in the room in which they clean using special formulations. At home, you can resort to such improvised means:

1. Potassium permanganate. 2 g of potassium permanganate is diluted in 1 liter of water, the surface on which the lamp crashed is treated with the resulting solution. Should be given Special attention hidden cavities where mercury could have entered, such as crevices between floorboards. The solution is kept on the surface for 6-8 hours, after which it is washed off warm water with soap.
2. Baking soda. 400 g of soda are dissolved in 10 liters of water and 400 g of soap solution are added. Instead of soda, you can use chlorine-containing products, for example, "Whiteness".
3. Iodine. 100 ml of iodine is dissolved in 1 liter of water. This method is usually used if the area of contamination is small.

Demercurization is carried out daily for 3-4 days. Be sure to use gloves to protect your hands from mercury-containing substances and harsh detergents.

There are companies that provide demercurization services. They should be contacted in such cases:

If you don't want to do the work yourself. These organizations use special mercury neutralizing chemical substances. The services of these companies are not cheap, but they do the job faster and better.
To determine whether soft objects that have been hit by fragments can be used in the future.
If you want to take measurements of the mercury concentration in the room, to ensure the quality of self-demercurization.

Disposal of energy-saving lamps

So we found out that energy-saving lamps should not be thrown into containers with household waste, but only in devices intended for disposal of mercury-containing devices. But what about the lamps in the future? Currently, there are about 50 industries that specialize in the recycling of energy-saving lamps.

Using various technologies, at such enterprises, glass, phosphor, aluminum bases, lamp housings and electronic boards are separated from mercury compounds. After such processing, raw materials are obtained, ready for recycling: glass, aluminum and mercury. The use of these technologies brings not only economic benefits, but also contributes to the preservation of the environment.

Upon attempt recycle energy saving lamp, everyone is faced with the problem: where to throw it away? In any locality in Europe, there are many opportunities for disposal: both special containers in sufficient quantities and collection points for hazardous toxic waste.

In our country, this problem is not so easily solved, but do not despair, and, moreover, throw the lamps into household tanks. We also have places where you can return or throw away used lamps:

1. In major cities this problem is more or less solvable - here you can find and special containers, and recycling companies and collection points for such waste.
2. Residents of small settlements can only rely on reception points and the help of volunteers. In order not to bring 1-2 lamps to the collection point, you can connect your friends or neighbors to the collection.
3. The problem of recycling energy-saving lamps is easiest to solve for employees of large enterprises or office centers. Usually they have special storage containers on their territory. hazardous waste, as well as an agreement with a company engaged in their disposal. You can throw lamps brought from home into such a container, usually this is not only not prevented, but, on the contrary, welcomed.

AND last tip those who cannot or do not want to dispose of energy-saving lamps. Let's take care of nature together common Home and do not put the health of others at risk! Refrain from purchasing mercury-containing lamps, because there is an excellent alternative - halogen and LED models. They give more light than an ordinary incandescent lamp, and you can throw them in a regular trash can.

So, if the product is broken, there are at least 2 risks:

Shards of glass that can cut you.
Mercury, which belongs to substances of the 1st hazard class.

Also study information on what to do if a mercury thermometer breaks.

Why is a broken energy-saving lamp dangerous?

Mercury fumes inside such a lamp are dangerous. You should know that if the light bulb breaks, these vapors will instantly find themselves in the atmosphere of the home, and meanwhile, mercury belongs to the class of toxic substances of the first level of danger. Even short-term inhalation of mercury vapor is highly undesirable for human body and can cause serious problems with the central nervous system. With an increase in concentration, weakness, vomiting, dizziness may occur.

A broken energy-saving light bulb poses the greatest danger to pregnant women and young children. However, we should not panic, now we know why it is dangerous, and it remains only to take the necessary security measures in a timely manner. The fact is that one broken lamp has nothing to do with natural disaster, since the content of mercury vapor in it is not significant, but this does not negate the adoption of a number of urgent measures.

But the most dangerous scenario may not be that the lamp has broken, but its depressurization. In this case, the danger lies in the fact that such a lamp can be safely thrown into the trash, without even imagining the danger that threatens you and your loved ones, you can continue to inhale mercury fumes without even knowing it!

Each energy-saving light bulb contains 3 to 5 mg of mercury. This is a fairly small amount, which means it may happen that it will not affect your health in any way. However, mercury vapor can also have a very negative effect on your well-being. The main symptoms of mercury poisoning are:

headache;
dizziness;
nausea and vomiting;
weakness and fatigue;
diseases of the respiratory system;
lack of appetite, abdominal pain;
bleeding gums;
hand trembling;
disruption of the central nervous system.

Severe mercury poisoning can even lead to death. However, it is unlikely that one broken energy-saving light bulb can lead to it. But, still, taking precautions if a lamp has been broken in your home is a must.

Can you throw away the lamps?

According to statistics, more than 70 thousand lamps fail every year, however, less than half of them are disposed of in compliance with all safety measures. Unfortunately, most of the broken lamps end up in the trash can along with household waste, and then in the trash. And mercury, getting into the air, pollutes it, simultaneously creating a threat to people and animals.

There is only one way to avoid this: throw broken lamps only into special containers designed for mercury-containing devices.

The amount of mercury in one lamp

Its amount in one light bulb depends on its power, design and purpose, and can range from 1 to 400 mg. For example:

A typical energy-saving light bulb may contain up to 5mg of mercury;
The content of mercury in a DLR lamp can reach up to 350 mg;
Tubular luminescent from 45 to 65 mg;
lamp lamp DRT up to 600 mg;
Neon tube up to 10mg.

The human body is endangered only when the content of mercury vapor in the air exceeds 0.25 mg/cubic meter, therefore, one broken lamp does not pose a serious danger. Despite this, you should not ignore the problem that has arisen, take the necessary measures urgently!

Broke an energy-saving lamp in the apartment - what to do?

You need to act clearly and in a strictly defined order. This will make it possible to protect yourself and your loved ones as much as possible.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

This is, in fact, the collection of fragments for further disposal:

Do not touch the fragments with unprotected hands! Be sure to use protective rubber gloves.
It is desirable to collect waste with paper or cardboard sheets. You can use an old sponge or paper towel. In a word, you need to use items that you don’t mind throwing away. It is not necessary to collect fragments with a vacuum cleaner.
The collected waste should be placed in a sealed bag with a zipper.
After cleaning is over, the place where the lamp was located must be wiped with moistened textiles. The rag should also be put in the bag where the remains of the broken lamp are located. The package should only be thrown into a special container for mercury-containing devices.

What to do if the energy-saving lamp breaks

What you need to know if you have such a case, the following reminder will tell you:

Given the low concentration of toxic substances, the clothes in which demercurization was carried out should not be disposed of, it is enough to wash them separately from other things.

Chemical method of demercurization

This fantastically creepy name refers to the neutralization of mercury vapor or mercury compounds. The essence of these events is the cleaning of the premises with special means. At home, you can use these tools.

Potassium permanganate

Baking soda

For a ten-liter bucket of water - 0.4 kg of baking soda and 0.4 l of a chlorine-containing composition, for example, "Whiteness".

There are 100 ml of an alcohol solution of iodine per liter jar of water. This method is very efficient. It is usually used for a small area of pollution.

For high-quality demercurization, you can also contact a specialized company that provides such services. You need to contact in such cases:

You are not sure that you can disinfect the room well or simply do not want to do it. Companies have special substances that quickly and reliably neutralize mercury. Such work is not cheap, but you can be one hundred percent sure of efficiency.
To get an answer to the question of whether it is possible to use pieces of upholstered furniture that have been hit by a broken lamp.
To measure indoor mercury concentrations after you have demercurized yourself with home remedies. It doesn't hurt to make sure!

At the core this method collection and disposal of mercury compounds lies chemical reaction, which allows the substance to combine with other elements of the periodic table. Ultimately, the vapors of the toxic substance become salts (that is, non-volatile), which are easily collected and removed, and most often amenable to wet cleaning.

Here are some options:

To do this, you need potassium permanganate. In fact, this is a manganese aqueous solution (two percent), where two grams of potassium permanganate are added to one liter of water. This solution treats the surface where the broken lamp fell. After eight hours, this area should be washed with warm soapy water. Within three days, this operation must be carried out without fail.
You can use an alcohol solution of iodine (5%) instead of a solution of potassium permanganate.
You can use a solution that includes: 5% - soda, 4% soap.
You can approach this problem even easier, for which use any household detergent that contains chlorine for cleaning. For example, white.

If you have any doubts that the maximum permissible concentration has decreased, but not much, then you will have to contact a specialized company that will analyze the air in the room. By the way, if you do not want to endanger yourself using the methods described above, then we recommend shifting the burden of responsibility to these same companies.

How to avoid poisoning

To date, there are light bulbs in which mercury is present not in its natural state, but in the form of an amalgam (solution with metals). In this case, if an energy-saving lamp breaks, it will not be scary for your health.

Among such products, the Camelion Classic LH30-AS-M / 827 / E27 model is popular, although other companies, for example, Osram, use this technology.

That's all I wanted to tell you about mercury poisoning and demercurization at home. We hope that now you have fully learned what to do if an energy-saving lamp breaks!

First of all, you should know that energy-saving lamps are currently widely represented on the market, which do not contain mercury vapor in a free state, mercury is used in them in the form of compounds with other metals, which makes them practically safe for humans. And yet, if such a light bulb breaks, how to act?

The easiest way to avoid poisoning is to prevent the lamp from breaking. It is impossible to walk constantly in a respirator and rubber gloves, therefore, given the low concentration of mercury vapor in it, the precise implementation of the points of the previous chapter will be quite enough to avoid poisoning.

How is recycling done?

A few words about recycling. In developed European countries this issue has been resolved. IN post-Soviet states It is not that simple. If there are special containers in megacities, then residents of small settlements have to be content with reception points.

So, an energy-saving lamp has broken, mercury is collected in a glass jar, what's next? All this, as well as carpets, rugs, clothes and shoes, must be taken to a recycling center. There is such an office in every district. But how to find it?

Remember that in each city, under the Ministry of Emergencies, unified duty and dispatch services are organized, in short, EDDS. Their phone number can be found in the help desk, this is not a problem. So call EDDS and find out the location of the recycling center. All this will be free.

Almost every city has commercial companies, which are engaged in the disposal of any harmful substances. True, it will cost something. The easiest option is to contact management company, she must urgently arrange collection and removal. Although, as practice shows, these companies rarely respond to complaints from residents at all, so take matters into your own hands, look for a recycling site yourself.

Of course, manufacturers of energy-saving fluorescent lamps are trying to reduce the mercury content inside the bulb by any technology. For example, light sources have recently appeared on the market, in which liquid mercury is replaced by its combination with metals, that is, an amalgam is obtained. This reduces its toxicity, but this problem is still not fully resolved.

What is the danger of damage?

The flask of the so-called "housekeepers" contains mercury in small quantities. If you accidentally break an energy-saving light bulb in your house (for example, burst), this can endanger life.

In order for you to understand how terrible mercury poisoning is, here are a few meanings and facts:

The maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of mercury in the atmosphere should not exceed 0.0003 mg/m 3 .
The bulb of a small energy-saving lamp can contain up to 7 mg of a harmful substance.
For an ordinary room, the MPC can increase by 160-200 times if an incident occurs.
The poison fumes are odorless, which makes things even worse (you won't hear anything if the destruction occurs).
Among the main symptoms of the lesion are: dizziness, weakness, lack of appetite. Mercury vapor adversely affects the liver, kidneys and nervous system. With large volumes of harmful substances, even death can be a consequence.

As you can see, it's scary if an energy-saving fluorescent lamp breaks. That is why it is immediately necessary to proceed to self-demercurization of the light bulb.

For you to know, demercurization is the elimination of mercury pollution by chemical, physical and physico-chemical methods.

The Real Danger of a Broken Light Bulb

In order not to aggravate the consequences, in no case should you do the following things;

Don't turn on the air conditioner! Otherwise, mercury vapor can settle on its internal filter and will happily poison your life;
Do not collect light bulb fragments with a vacuum cleaner, it also has an internal filter;
You should not use a broom or a brush, this can lead to the fact that small fragments, unnoticed by you, will end up in completely unpredictable places;
Do not try to drown the consequences of the disaster in the sewer. It is unlikely that this will harm you, but still, somehow ugly. However, the fragments can get stuck in the pipes, and this certainly will not do you any good;
To avoid contamination of the environment with highly toxic mercury compounds, do not dispose of the remains of a broken lamp in yard trash cans or other household waste collection points.

Here, in a nutshell, is everything you need to know if an energy-saving light bulb has broken. In conclusion, it should be noted that even unbroken lamps must be disposed of at specialized points, and not the first landfill that comes across.